Italy stands firm despite hostage death

Last updated at 12:12 15 April 2004

The Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has confirmed that one of the four Italians being held hostage in Iraq had been killed.

Frattini told state television that Italy's ambassador to Qatar had seen Arabic television channel Al Jazeera's footage and confirmed the news to the Italian government that Fabrizio Quattrocchi had been killed. His family were informed.

Quattrocchi was captured on Monday along with three other Italians working as private security guards in Iraq.

Al Jazeera reported Iraqi kidnappers had killed one Italian hostage and were threatening to kill three others because of Italy's refusal to withdraw from the US-led force in Iraq.

An official at Al Jazeera said the channel would not broadcast footage it had of the killing because it was "too bloody".